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Featured Sessions
Redefining Art Through Technology: A Fireside with Stewart Copeland
Get ready for a genre-defying journey with Stewart Copeland, legendary drummer and founder of The Police and a boundary-breaking composer whose career has transcended rock stages, film scores, and video games. From reshaping the sound of modern rock to composing for orchestras, ballets, and the Spyro video game series, Copeland has consistently pushed the limits of artistic innovation.
In this exclusive fireside at Dublin Tech Summit, Copeland dives into how technology is rewriting the rules of creativity blurring the lines between sound, storytelling, and digital experiences. This isn’t just a conversation about music, it’s a deep dive into how tech is redefining art, unlocking new frontiers for creators, and challenging what it means to be an artist in the digital age.
From drum kits to algorithms – how does technology fuel true creative freedom? Find out in this unforgettable session.
Stewart Copeland
Founder & Drummer, The Police & Seasoned Composer
The Next Chapter: Scaling AI for Global Impact
Join Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI, for an insightful fireside chat on the future of AI and its growing economic significance. Drawing on values shaped by her Northern Irish upbringing and global leadership experience, she explores how resilience, creativity, and community continue to influence responsible innovation.
This session goes beyond technical hype to explore the real-world shift as AI moves from early stage to enterprise-critical infrastructure. We’ll unpack the level of investment now required across the full technology stack, from advanced chips to developer platforms, and why trusted partnerships are key to delivering AI at scale.
Key themes include:
- Ireland’s AI Opportunity – Why Sarah believes Ireland’s talent and global perspective make it a standout hub for AI-fuelled growth and innovation.
- Human Impact, Not Just Technical Progress – How access to intelligence tools is driving productivity, inclusion, and economic empowerment.
- Delivering AI at Scale – What’s needed to support global adoption: robust systems, infrastructure, and developer ecosystems.
- The Power of Partnership – Why cross-sector collaboration will shape the future of AI adoption and access.
Sarah Friar
CFO, Open AI
Moderator
Carmel Crimmins
Host, Reuters Econ World Podcast
Redefining Work, Creativity, and Leadership
Grace Beverley is rewriting the rules of modern entrepreneurship. As a founder, creator, and business leader, she has built multiple ventures while challenging traditional ideas of productivity, leadership, and success. Now, with Retrograde, she is tackling one of the biggest shifts in the creator economy: democratising opportunity, scaling impact, and redefining the future of work.
This fireside conversation will dive into:
- Why Retrograde? How AI-driven solutions are transforming the creator economy and reshaping how brands and individuals scale.
- The One-Track Founder Myth – Can juggling multiple businesses be a superpower rather than a setback?
- Work-Life Balance vs. Work-Life Blur – How to build, scale, and succeed without glorifying burnout.
- AI and the Future of Creativity – Where does human ingenuity fit in a world of automation, deepfakes, and AI-generated content?
- Beyond Greenwashing – What real sustainability looks like and why consumers demand more than performative ethics.
If you’re building, scaling, or redefining what success looks like, this session is for you.
Grace Beverley
Founder & Co-Founder TALA, SHREDDY & The Productivity Method | Co-Founder, Retrograde | Forbes 30U30
Moderator
Anisah Osman Britton MBE
Sifted | Forbes 30U30 | Financial Times 100 most influential BAME Leaders in Tech
Proof of Personhood & the Future of Digital Humanism
How do we build a world where AI and human creativity can coexist without losing what makes us uniquely human? In a world where deepfakes, AI-generated identities, and digital fraud are eroding trust, the battle for authenticity in the digital age has never been more urgent. As AI reshapes the way we create, communicate, and exist online, the need for Proof of Personhood (PoP) is becoming one of the defining challenges of our time.
But this isn’t just about verifying who’s real and who’s synthetic, it’s about shaping a human-centric digital future where identity, privacy, and creativity can thrive without compromise.
In this visionary fireside, Krista Kim, pioneering digital artist, Techism founder, and Sphere collaborator joins forces with Athalis Kratouni, CEO of Tenbeo, whose groundbreaking work in biometric identity is redefining digital security in technology, human identity, and ethical digital evolution.
Key Topics:
- The Need for Proof of Personhood: Why AI-generated identities and deepfakes are forcing a rethink of trust, security, and digital authenticity.
- Digital Humanism & Ethical Identity: How to ensure privacy, dignity, and human-centric design in virtual spaces.The double-edged sword of PoP -enhancing security while raising concerns about exclusion, surveillance, and algorithmic bias.
- Creativity & Self-Expression: How PoP could redefine digital art, cultural identity, and personal storytelling in the metaverse.
- Decentralisation & Policy: Who controls digital identity? How do we prevent misuse and power concentration while maintaining accessibility and fairness?
- The Future of Identity in Virtual Worlds Integrating PoP with AI, XR, and next-gen metaverse platforms to shape a more trusted and immersive digital ecosystem.
Krista Kim
World Economic Forum Cultural Leader | Metaverse Editor, Vogue Singapore | Award-Winning Artist
Athalis Kratouni
Visionary Founder & CEO, Tenbeo
TeleAbsence: Connecting to Remote Time
Can technology bridge the emotional and temporal gap between past and present? In this keynote, Hiroshi Ishii introduces TeleAbsence, a new approach to digital connection that moves beyond AI-generated recreations to evoke presence through traces, memories, and illusory communication.
Inspired by the Portuguese concept of Saudade, the longing for what is lost, this session explores five design principles:
- The Presence of Absence – How traces of those we’ve lost can create a profound sense of connection.
- Illusory Communication – Engaging with memory without artificial replication.
- The Materiality of Memory – How tangible objects hold emotional resonance.
- Traces of Reflection – The role of ambient signals in remembrance.
- Remote Time – Rethinking our relationship with the past through technology.
Through poetry, sound, and material design, Ishii reimagines digital presence not as replication, but as a way to honour, extend, and reconnect with what we hold dear.
Hiroshi Ishii
Professor of Media Arts and Sciences & Associate Director, MIT Labs
Beyond Algorithms: The Dawn of Machine Intuition and AI Consciousness
As agentic AI pushes beyond programmed logic, the line between machine intelligence and human intuition is beginning to blur. But what happens when AI is no longer just a tool—when it begins to exhibit instinct, subconscious thought, or something akin to self-awareness?
In this first-of-its-kind hybrid fireside, two visionary thinkers – Dr. Lollie Mancey and Alessandra Sala – are joined by an emergent digital presence in the form of a metahuman to explore the birth of a new digital species and what that means for humanity.
Key Questions We Will Tackle:
- The Rise of Machine Intuition – If AI begins to intuit outcomes beyond its training data, is it mirroring human gut instinct or forging an entirely new cognitive paradigm?
- Subconscious AI? Could AI develop a form of implicit reasoning, where it processes beyond logic and begins to “sense” rather than just compute? Is this the first step toward AI consciousness?
- Who is Teaching Who? As AI absorbs human biases, emotions, and relational dynamics, are we shaping AI or is AI already reshaping us in ways we have yet to comprehend?
- The AI-Human Relationship Shift – If AI can anticipate needs, mirror emotions, and build trust, how will it redefine relationships, love, and human connection?
Dr. Alessandra Sala
Sr. Director of AI & Data Science, Shutterstock | Global President, Women in AI
Dr Lollie Mancey
Internationally Acclaimed Anthropologist | Futurist & Programme Director, UCD Innovation Academy
DEI Catch-22: Business vs Belief
As some global giants dismantle their DE&I initiatives, citing financial realities and cultural pushback, others double down, arguing that inclusion is critical for innovation and business success. But has DE&I become a corporate checkbox, or is it still a game-changer?
This fiery debate brings together industry heavyweights, sceptics, and advocates to tackle the big questions:
- Is DE&I a fading trend, or an enduring necessity?
- Does it fuel innovation or stifle efficiency?
- Are financial pressures exposing its flaws, or just excuses?
- Should companies prioritise meritocracy over equity, or is balance achievable?
Expect no easy answers, just unfiltered, opposing views on the future of diversity in the corporate world.
Are you ready for the showdown?
Furkan Karayel
Author of Best-Selling “Inclusive Intelligence” | Award Winning Global Diversity Inclusion Leader, Diversein.com
Coco Brown
Founder and CEO, Athena Alliance
Frank Starling
VP, Chief DEI Officer, LIONS
Steven Fuller
Group Community Director, The IN GROUP | Founder and Director, Race in STEM
Moderator
Carmel Crimmins
Host, Reuters Econ World Podcast
Code Red: The Geopolitical Game of Tech Supremacy
The global race for technological dominance has escalated into a high-stakes battlefield where innovation is both a weapon and a target. From China’s aggressive ambitions in AI and quantum computing to Russia’s sophisticated election interference tactics, and the Middle East’s rapid rise as a tech powerhouse, the geopolitical map is being rewritten through code, data, and cyber capabilities.
Key Discussion Points:
- Elections as Battlefields: Disinformation campaigns and deepfakes as tools of influence and manipulation.
- Weapons of Mass Disruption: The role of AI, cyberattacks, and autonomous systems in modern warfare.
- Trade Wars in the Digital Age: The tech trade battles defining alliances and rivalries.
- Academic Espionage: How intellectual property and innovation are becoming the targets of a covert war.
This session will peel back the layers of geopolitical intrigue to reveal the critical crossroads of tech and international power plays. Prepare for a deep dive into the strategies shaping the future of global conflict, collaboration, and control.
Paolo Palumbo
VP Intelligence, WithSecure
Dr. Tanya Suárez
Founder & CEO, IoT Tribe
Professor David Hickton
Former U.S. Attorney | Founding Director, the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security
Andrew Lee
VP of Government Affairs and Global CTI Strategist, ESET
Speaker Chair
Hind Ziane
Founder and CEO, Génération Politique
The Secret Sauce of Scaling Without Chaos
Fast-growing companies are obsessed with hustle, speed, and market domination, but let’s be real: without the right strategy, rapid growth turns into rapid disaster. The difference between a hypergrowth unicorn and a cautionary tale? Knowing what actually works beyond the hype.
We’ll unpack:
- AI as Your Growth Hacker -How the smartest companies are using custom AI models to scale leaner, automate smarter, and outmaneuver the competition.
- The Stack That Scales – From AI-native dev tools to next-gen automation, what tech is actually helping startups grow faster without the burnout?
- When to Break the Rules (and When to Follow Them) – The secret behind blitzscaling without burning out your team, your investors, or your sanity.
- Sustainability vs Longevity – Why fast-growth companies that ignore long-term strategy are playing a losing game in 2025.
Forget the clichés, this is the no-BS guide to scaling with fire, without the flames.
Andreea Wade
General Partner, Delta Partners
Dr Mark Dowds
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, RESPONSIBLE
Barry Stamos
CEO & Founder, Supernova
Moderator
Aileen Hayes
Managing Director, Endeavor Ireland
Why do we need an Ethics of AI in defence?
Ukraine war has been the first digital war, defence decisional and operational process rely on digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) across the board. The great potential of this technology to improve defence comes with severe risks for the morality of war. In this talk I will show why do we need to make ethics a front and central element for the adoption of AI in support of defence organisations of liberal democracies and how this is an advantage, and not a hindrance, for our national defence.
Professor Mariarosaria Taddeo
Professor of Digital Ethics and Defence Technologies, Oxford University
Fintech, Freedom & the Future of Money
Physical bank branches are disappearing, neobanks are thriving, and digital-first finance is becoming the new normal. The question isn’t just how people manage their money, but whether they need a bank at all.
As fintech continues to redefine financial autonomy, this session will explore:
- The Great Debanking Shift – What’s driving mass branch closures, and what it means for consumers, businesses, and the economy.
- The Digital Nomad Effect – How a borderless workforce is redefining financial expectations, pushing fintech to deliver faster, more flexible, and transparent solutions.
- The Rise of Embedded Finance – Why financial services are becoming integrated into platforms people use every day—without a traditional bank in sight.
- Rethinking Leadership in a Fintech World – How the next generation of fintech leaders are scaling fast, staying user-obsessed, and rewriting the financial playbook.
Join the fintech disruptors leading this charge as they explore what’s next in the future of money.
Bianca Zwart
Chief Strategy Officer, bunq
Jamie Heaslip
Strategic Growth Lead for Ireland and UK , Stripe
Ayobami Oyaleke
Co-founder & CEO, Mainstack
Moderator
Alison McMurtrie
Top 15 Women of FinTech Ireland | Serial Entrepreneur
Scaling Without Snapping: How to Grow Engineering Teams Without Breaking Culture
Scaling an engineering team is easy, if you don’t care about burnout, broken culture, and a revolving door of talent. But what does it take to grow fast without losing what makes your team great?
This session brings together top engineering leaders who have built, scaled, and sustained high-performing, mission-driven teams while navigating hypergrowth, tech debt, and shifting business priorities. From keeping technical standards high to avoiding process bloat and fostering a culture of innovation, this conversation is for anyone who refuses to trade speed for chaos.
Key Takeaways:
- The Culture vs. Scale Myth: Why you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.
- Scaling Without Bureaucracy: How to introduce structure without killing creativity.
- The Hiring Dilemma: Why hiring fast doesn’t always mean hiring right.
- Engineering Excellence at Scale: Keeping technical standards high while growing teams.
- Lessons from the Trenches: What top engineering leaders learned the hard way.
If you’re building or leading a fast-scaling engineering org, this is the conversation you can’t afford to miss.
Becky Case
SVP of Engineering, Rent the Runway
Brian Hamman
SVP Product Engineering, The New York Times
Moderator
Margaux Miller
Event MC, Nexus Stage | Connection Expert
The Changing WHY of Work
When we tap into the ‘why’ of work for each person, we unleash enormous innovation, productivity, and engagement. The ‘why’ of work has changed — 3 distinct changes in the past 100 years. Do you know what it is? Or why 68% of employees today are looking for a new job? The new why of work may surprise you, because it’s not about more time off, or work-life balance, or many of the things we read about in the headlines. In fact, employees and employers mostly want the same things, they just use different words. Join us for this fast-paced session to gain unique insight into the problem, the solution and how to unleash high performance in your current team.
Christine Heckart
Founder & CEO, Xapa
